I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the slaughtering of animals and, more particularly, to the humane slaughtering and processing of ostrich (Struthio camelus).
II. Background Art
Ostrich are large, two-toed, flightless birds indigenous to Africa and Arabia. Ostrich are the largest of living birds. Ostrich typically have heights of around 8 feet, lengths of about 6 feet, and weights of over 300 pounds.
Historically, ostrich have been slaughtered for their plumage, or feathers. However, in recent years, other ostrich body parts have been extensively used to better the standard of living of human beings. For example, ostrich eye lenses have been realized by scientists and medical researchers to be extraordinarily useful for transplant in humans. As a further example, ostrich hide, or skin, is now used for making purses, boots, and other forms of clothing. The public has responded favorably to the latter innovation. Consequently, a huge demand exists for the ostrich hide, which has become an expensive commodity.
In the conventional art, ostrich have been almost exclusively slaughtered and processed on the continent of Africa, where the birds originate. In the United States, the raising of ostrich for slaughter and processing is extremely limited. Usually, a farmer on a small family farm raises a few ostrich along with his other livestock.
Ostrich are large creatures and have volatile behaviors, making them burdensome to handle, slaughter, and process. Moreover, the processes known in the art are very crude. In Africa, the ostrich are usually slaughtered as follows. First, the ostrich is grasped about the head, and the ostrich is roped at the ankles. Next, the ostrich is hoisted into the air in an inverted position and its throat is cut. The blood is allowed to drain. Further, the hide is cut from the ostrich. Finally, the ostrich is gutted so that the meat can be cut from the animal. Hence, the methodology is crude and primitive.
In the United States, the current methodology for slaughtering the ostrich parallels the primitive approach taken on the African continent. Essentially, there is no known process in the world for large scale slaughtering and processing of ostrich. Moreover, in order to slaughter and process ostrich on a large scale for commercial gain in the United States, approval must be obtained by the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A.). In its history, the U.S.D.A. has never approved a slaughtering and processing technique for ostrich.
Needless to say, in utilizing the primitive slaughtering and processing methods, much of the ostrich is wasted, due to the crude procedures. For example, in order to properly remove many of the useful internal organs, such as the ostrich eye lenses, the organs must be carefully and methodically removed very soon after the ostrich is slaughtered and then refrigerated in some adequate fashion. In addition, the ostrich organs can contaminate each other during the slaughtering process, rendering many of them unfit for human use and consumption. For instance, fluids from the esophagus or gizzard can taint other organs, rendering them unfit.
Furthermore, conventional methods for the slaughter and processing of poultry (chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, etc.) are not applicable to ostrich. Ostrich are extraordinarily larger, have volatile and violent behaviors, and possess different types of useful body parts, for example, skin and eye lenses, as compared with other poultry.
Thus, a need exists in the industry for a method of humanely slaughtering and processing ostrich in an efficient manner, on a large scale, and which meets U.S.D.A. approval.